Cost of 2012 floods cause for concern

A flash flood in Jedburgh on Sunday saw shop owners come together in a massive clean-up operation in the town centre. Duck Row in Jed.

The full extent of damage to the Borders caused by one of the wettest years on record has been revealed in a special report.

A total of 54 properties, 33 businesses, two bowling clubs, one primary school and one playpark were affected by flash floods of 2012 which resulted in millions of pounds worth of damage.

And Scottish Borders Council - which were forced to shell out an extra £88,000 to pay for the impact of intense rainfall and flash flooding in 2012 - have warned further costly incidents are likely.

In a report to the local authority’s environment and infrastructure committee, SBC’s Robert Young, Colin Ovens and David Green wrote: “There is a risk of continuing failures as a result of extreme weather conditions.

“Officers will continue to monitor the state of the asset through inspections, and will prioritise allocations to those areas of greatest need.”

The most significant flooding incident was that of Jedburgh’s Skip Running Burn on August 5, when a total 22 homes and 23 businesses were washed out.

However, June proved the wettest month for the Borders, with twice the 30 year average rainfall being recorded in Jedburgh.

In Galashiels, where eight properties and 10 businesses were damaged after the ­Bakehouse Burn burst its banks on November 22, it was also June which proved the soggiest, with 283 per cent more rain than the monthly norm.

Other communities to be affected were Newtown St Boswells, where the village’s bowling club and four properties were damaged in an incident on June 16, the same date as Fountainhall saw its primary school and five homes forced to pay out for repairs.

In Duns, four homes suffered flood damage over four seperate dates, and at Rommanno bridge a further four residential properties were affected in June and July.

Darnick, Clovenfords and Peebles also suffered damage during the summer, while Stow’s playpark and bowling club were washed out in ­September. The budget for 2012/13 was increased from £212,000 to £300,000 because of additional payments on sandbags, grill clearance and work on the Skip Running Burn.